Henry p



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

HENRY P. MERRIAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DETONATI NG M ECHANISM FOR EXPLOSIVE SH ELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming 'part of Letters Patent No. 431,377, dated July 1, 1890.

Application tiled December 23, 1889. genial No. 334,694. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY P. MERRIAM, a citizen ot the United States, residing at the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Det-onating Mechanism for ,Explosive Shells, of which the following is aspeciiica tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figu re 1 is a longitudinal section of the head of a shell; Fig. 2, a front elevation of lthe apex; and Fig. 3, a cross section o: ot Fig. 1.

My invention relates to dynamite or other highly-ex plosive shells; and its object is to detonate the shell-chargeby the blow of immersion on the head of the shell when it strikes a water-target.

My invention relates especiallyto detonators wherein plungers that explode the detonating compound are actuated by pressure received through a conducting tube or passage from a column of water admitted/therein when the shell is immersed, as described and claim ed in my separate Patent, application tiled December 23, 1889, Serial No. 334,693.

The invention herein consists of an irnproved device for locking or retaining the plungers away from the fulminate-caps under normal conditions and releasing the same automatically at the proper time to be actuated by pressure, the entire mechanism being embodied in a single case forming .the apex of the shell.

. A is thechamber of the shell filled with high explosive.

B is a chamber filled with gun-cotton; C, an annular tube con tainingfulminating mercury, and D are timefuses4 filled with slo wburning compoundl--such as meal-powder-to promote or delay action, communicating with the tube C and with the primers of the fulminate caps E. The e parts composing the detonator are containe in a case F, screwed into the apex piece G, w ich is removable, being screwed into the he d of the shell at ca The case is provided with cylinders c,

-which are perpendicularl to the axis of the' shell, contaihing plungers dl df1tting airtight thereid, which when released are movable toward ,the fulminate-caps E. Itis to be observed that the plungers d d are arranged .with the cylinders c at the backs of the plun gers, and through the space or passage e a Itube I or water-way in the apex piece connects with said holes II and plungers d d. rlhe tube I has diverging branches I', opening at diierent sides of the head of the-shell to insure the entrance ot' water should the shell strike on its side. The tubular branches I are provided with diaphragmsf, of thin material, which is ruptured by the blow of immersion, as described and claimed in my said separate patent application.

The .locking device for the hammers d d consists of a rotary shaft J, axial to the shell, which shaftcarries a spirally -bladed wheel K at its outer end in the apex, imparting rotation to the shaft at the instant of immersion. The several. plungers d d', arranged tangentially to the shaft, are provided with circumferential grooves i at the parts thereof opposite the shaft when the'plungers are retracted. The normal diameter of the shaftJ intersects these grooves z'- and retains the plungers in their inactive position; but there are recesses j in the sides of the shaft, the same being the equivalent of the elevations and depressions of the collar 20 in my said separate patent ap plicatio'n, which recesses when rotated-say -a quarter of a turn coincide with the sur faces of alll the cylinders c simultaneously, giving clearance to the plungers and releasing them, subject to action by the pressure from the tube I. The spirally-bladed wheel Kis retained from accidental rotation bythe shear-pin k, which is sheared oir1 when the wheel is struck forcibly by the water.

' L is a stationary guard placed over the wheel for the purpose of' protection, and the guard L has inlets l and outlets m, giving free Water-way through the face' of the wheel.

Any suitable stop maybe employed'to prevent the rotation of the shaft J beyond the releasing-point, a shoulder n being indicated, terminating a recess/in the back of the wheel, into which recess a pin o projects, so as to abut on said shoulder at the completion of a roo one or more branches I in solid columns,` compressing the air in the tube I and in the spaces back of the plungers d d. ,The wheel K, rotating at the same instan t, releases all the plungers, permitting lthe pressure to act forcibly thereon in effecting the discharge of the several fulminate caps E. The caps beinginstantly discharged, the time element necessary to give the shell proper immersion under a hostile vessel or other object is obtained by regulation of the slow-burning composition in the passages D.

In order to more fully insure the compression of the air and full 'effect of the column of water, a piston p may be interposed in the tube I, as indicated by dotted lines, this feature being also claimed in said separate application. The access of water to the detonatorcase is thereby also prevented.

What'I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*- 1. The combination, with an explosive shell, of a pressure-actuated dctonating plunger or plungers, a 'rotary locking-shaft bearing cir- Af xuniferent-ial elevations and depressions, which elevations intercept the path of the plun gers, and a spirally-bladed wheel exposed at the surf-ace of the shell for rotating the shaft todisengage the plungers.

2. The combination, with an explosive shell, of a pressure-actuated detonating plunger or plungers perpendicular to the axis of the shell, and a rotary locking-shaft parallel to the axis of the shell having circu mferential elevations and depressions at portions opposite the plu nger or plungers, which respectively intercept or clear the path of the latter, and a spirallybladed wheel exposed at the surface of the shell for rotating the shaft to disengage the plungers.

3. rlhe combination, with an explosive shell, of a pressure-actuated detonating plunger or plungers perpendicular to the axis of the shell, a rotary locking-shaft axial to the shell, having circumferential elevations and depressions at portions opposite the plunger or plungers, which respectively intercept or clear the path of the same, a spirally-bladed Wheel on the shaft exposed at the apex of the shell,

and a guard or perforated shield placed over 5o the said Wheel, having inlet and outlet passages, substantially as described.

A. As a structural combination in an ex'- plosive shell, a detonator-case containing firing-plungers tan'gentially arranged about a 55 common axial locking-shaft, recesses in the shaft to clear the pl-ungers when turned opposite them, a -spirally-bladed Wheel on the shaft exposed at the apex of the shell, and a tubular water-passage concentric with the 6c shaft, through' which the latter extends, communicatin g with the pressure side of the plungers and branched tov open around the apex, the whole being combined in a removable apex-piece, substantially as shown.

' HENRY i?. MERRIAM,

Witnesses:

H. F. PARKER,

UHAs. HANIMANN. 

